In the days when there were jazz clubs in the back rooms of pubs in most towns in the UK, this was the kind of traditional-meets-mainstream fare that was most often on offer. Now those clubs have largely vanished, it’s good to hear this session, recorded at Dodwell in Barnsley, keeping the flame burning. So what were once hackneyed numbers are now less so, and serve to introduce new listeners to what was once a core repertoire. John Hallam is a fluent and wily performer on clarinet, and he serves as a sparring partner and foil for the young Amy Roberts. Their clarinet exchanges work well – notably on a languid ‘Creole Love Call’ – and Roberts has the upper hand with her fluid flute playing on ‘Manh de Carnaval’. The two-saxophone numbers fare less well – with some alto intonation problems and less interesting soloing. That said, this is uncomplicated swinging mainstream, and straightforwardly enjoyable.